Lima Oscar Victor Echo
by pinkfluffydressinggown
Summary: Private Swan only ever wanted to escape life in her boring town of Forks for a thrilling adventure. But when she meets Sergeant Cullen, will he distract her from her job, or change her life forever? A/H
1. Chapter 1

I never thought that I would join the army. When I was a little girl, my Mother would always influence my behaviour and thoughts, leading me into a life of Barbie dolls, make-up and hair; and I was fine with that. But when she left me and Charlie for Florida, the feminine side of me became lost. Instead I learnt to deal with football games and news channels that became my life.

So the choice to join a man's world was very easy to make, in the end.


	2. Dispatch

****CHARACTERS AND TWILIGHT BELONG TO STEPHANIE MEYER. PLOT IS MINE.****

**AUTHORS MEMORANDUM **

**Firstly, thank you to those of you who have already read the pitiful excuse for a first chapter I posted last night. It means the world to me and those 2 reviews I've already received made my morning a lot better! **

**This is the first real story that has been going round in my head for quite a while now, and I finally decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write it! Unfortunately, I am from England and therefore my American knowledge is limited to Wikipedia and the army websites I can find, so I apologize greatly if the facts are incorrect, but if they are, please review to let me know! Some things will be greatly made up to make the story more lovable, but I will try my damned hardest to make it politically and factually true!**

**Thank you again everybody!**

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><p>Today was the day I was going to Afghanistan.<p>

All my training had led to today and I could not believe it had come so soon.

I jumped out of my bed in the little two bedroom house I shared with my father, Charlie, stretching my sore muscles and walking towards the en-suite I had installed three years ago. Although I had lived here since I was born, I could not wait to begin the new chapter of my life.

Soon I had finished my shower and was greeted by the cool air of my home town, Forks Washington.

I hurried downstairs, where I saw Charlie sitting on one of the peeling-yellow chairs that surrounded the kitchen table. He looked up as I came through the doorway, smiling through his bushy mustache like always.

"Morning Bells" he greeted in his usual gruff tone.

"Morning Dad, what can I get you to eat?" I asked, already heading towards the fridge to grab the eggs I knew he would request.

"Just some eggs, please." I smirked to myself grabbing the carton and milk to make the scrambled eggs we both preferred to fried.

"I'm gonna miss you, squirt." I heard from behind me. I turned around to see tears rimming his brown eyes, and felt my heart break a little.

"Daddy, I'll be home before you know it. This is what I've been training for these last two years; I can do it. I know I can." I hugged him round the shoulders, turning before he could see the tears I was holding in fall. No one had seen me cry since I was 13, and I wanted to keep it that way.

We both cleared our throats and went to work in synchronization to get the eggs and toast ready, scoffing it down before we began the trek to the Washington D.C Marine Barracks where new recruits dispatch. We had already packed the car last night with my bags, so half an hour after we cleared our dishes, we were on the road.

The hour drive was filled mostly with our comfortable silence, either of us breaking it momentarily to remark on a passing landmark or fond old memories. Before I knew it, we were in front of the gates that would lead to the Marine terminal. We drove through after showing our ID, both of us too emotional to speak.

Pulling to a stop in the car park, I jumped out, opening the boot to grab my bags.

"Here Bells, leave that to me" Charlie requested, right behind me. I stepped out of the way; despite being able to life the three twenty kilogram bags myself, I knew he needed to do this for me.

We began to walk to where everyone had gathered, seeing families wrapped in embraces saying goodbye to parents, lovers and siblings. The sight was enough to make anyone feel emotional and Charlie and I came to a stop by a family saying goodbye to their son.

"Well, I guess this is it Dad." I began shuffling my feet, settling my bags next to me as Charlie did the same. I was suddenly pulled into a hug and melted into my fathers strong embrace, the safest place I had ever known.

"You call me whenever you want, my baby. I don't care what time of day or night it is, you call me and I will always be there."

"Oh Dad, you know we can't use phones whenever we want, silly" I said, reaching back to look into his eyes.

Smirking, he said "Don't you get smart with me Isabella. You know an old timer like me can't keep up with the times." We both laughed at his remark, breaking the emotional bubble we were in.

He swooped down to lay a kiss on my forehead, squeezed me one last time, and left. I watched him turn towards the car park, and smiled to myself; Charlie was a very unemotional man. This was his way, and I was grateful for being left to my own devices and not have to stretch out the goodbye.

I looked to my right and saw a few seats like at normal airports, and hefting my bags with me settled down for an hour before we set off. Pulling my long mahogany hair into a ponytail, I pushed in my ear buds, letting the calming sounds of De Bussy take over the manic of families telling their goodbyes, and thought back to training.

When I turned 19, I decided that my life lacked all substance I so craved. My boyfriend Mike was a deadbeat who was sleeping with his ex behind my back, I was going to community college due to the expense of the Ivy League schools, and I had a banged up old truck that would stall at the most horrible moments.

One night I was driving home from Mike's house after catching him in bed with the slut, singing my heart out to the Lonely Hearts CD I had created, and suddenly stalled. I started crying, all the pain and frustration at the way my life could turn out playing in my head like a movie, when I looked right. There on the lamppost was a poster for the American Army who were recruiting and just like that, I knew what I had to do.

The next day, I drove to Seattle to enroll at the local Army Shelter, and was invited to attend a three week recruit programme in Washington. I went home that night with my spirits at an all time high, ready to tell Charlie my plan.

"Dad!" I shouted as I ran through the front door. "Guess what?" I entered the living room where I saw Charlie spread out on the sofa, his favorite team playing.

"What's up Bells?" he asked, sitting up a little. He looked at me and seeing the excitement on my face, he paused the screen interested in what had made me so happy.

"I'm joining the army" I announced, with a 100-watt smile still gracing my face, which slowly dimmed at seeing his.

Slack jawed and bug-eyed, he stared at me for ten long seconds as I stood awaiting his reaction.

"Wh-What?" My happy-high suddenly deflated, and I dropped into the chair across from his, resting my elbows on my knees.

"Well, I saw a poster, and I thought 'that looks like something I want to do', so I went to Seattle today, enrolled and am going to the recruitment three week programme on Monday."

"It's Saturday Bells." Charlie suddenly shook his head, gripping his hands together. "Are you really sure about this? The army is a dangerous place, and once your in, there is no getting out."

"God Dad, you make it sound like I haven't even thought about this! I know what I want to do, and this is it."

"Is this about that stupid Newton and his fuck-ups?" Charlie suddenly bounded to his feet, going to where he hung his belt and side arm up.

"No! No Dad!" I shouted, crossing to stop him. "This is all me. I want to try something new. I'm sick of my boring life and I know that if I don't do this now, I will regret it forever."

He suddenly stopped and looked down at me, understanding marring his eyes. "Fine Bells. I never wanted you to feel that way, but I guess that's what Forks does to free spirits; your mother didn't last two years. I'm just glad this is only temporary and you aren't leaving me forever." I went to hug him, securing myself around his waist.

"It will, I promise. Forks will always be home."

The next day, we got the supplies the officer told me I needed, and made the relevant arrangements for Monday.

Charlie drove me up to Washington, and I went forward into the next stage of the rest of my life.

It was hard. I expected difficulty and a challenge, but this was so much more. The first day, girls were separated from boys and we began the gruelling workouts. First, we had to test our strength, which we showcased through pull ups and push ups. The next day, we had to embark on a cross-country 4 kilometre run, which had to be finished in under 30 minutes. Thank God, I was among the first ten of forty girls to cross the finish line, which included Rosalie and Alice.

Rosalie and Alice became my confidants through those tough three weeks, and by the end of it, we were thick as thieves. They were the most unlikely women you would ever think to find in the army, but they made it work, somehow. Rosalie was a statuesque blonde bombshell who was a former model, but had the vocabulary of a sailor. She decided to join the army however, when she discovered all the men in her family had been to war at one time or another in their lifetime. Being the only daughter to the very influential Mr and Mrs Hale, she decided to take one for the team and join.

Alice on the other hand, was shorter than most fourth graders, barely reaching five feet tall. She could outrun any other girl in our group however, and even some of the shallow-minded boys who believed themselves to be faster. She was a fashion intern but decided to join the army after experiencing the rough side of the industry and deciding it wasn't for her. Both girls were the same age as I, and I believe that's what made us bond more than anything.

After the recruitment period, we three were excited to learn we had passed into the next stage, which was training to become front-line worthy and were sent all over the States to learn hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, operations and medical. Throughout the two years we had been learning, we had become the best of friends and were guaranteed the same tour dates and locations in the same platoons. We had been through thick and thin with each other, all of us changing both physically and mentally through our time together.

I jumped out of my thoughts to a very familiar scream and the ear buds were ripped out of my ears as a tiny pixie attached herself into my lap and hugged me.

"Bella! I can't believe this is it! We did it! I can't wait Bella, I'm all ready and I've sorted out how I want my room to look and oh! I want to be in the middle of you and Rose!" I scrunched my eyebrows together at this, confused by her words. "Not like that silly, I mean our beds, I want to be in the middle with you guys either side of me just in case-" Her words became muffled by the hand I clasped round her mouth.

"Alice, calm down. We can sort it all out when we get there, don't worry."

"Sorry," she said getting off my lap and pulling me to my feet. "I'm just so excited!"

"I can tell Al, you're practically vibrating; whatcha hiding in your pocket?" I turned to see Rosalie, her immaculate appearance attracting more than one admiring look from the crowd. She smiled at me, setting her bags down and hugging me tight. "You ready for this girl?" She knew I was scared; we all were. But I had received the title of the 'young sister' as such in our group, so I was always being coddled in one way or another.

Although I would never admit it, being coddled in this way always made me feel safer. I could handle myself; the mat exercise we held in secret one night was evidence when Tyler, a fellow private tried to make an example of me and received a black eye and bruised ribs. But these girls would watch my back and protect me, giving me vital advice and support I knew I needed, and I them.

Blushing at my traitorous thoughts, I said "Of course, girl! This is what we've been waiting for. This is our time."

And I knew it would be.


	3. Afghanistan

**AUTHORS MEMORANDUM**

**Wahoo! Woke up again this morning to four more reviews. Thank you all. **

**One person reviewed that I got the Washington state and capitol wrong-I am so sorry. I just checked on googlemaps for how long the journey would take and it would be forty-one hours; not one. **

**Once again, please Read and Review, it would mean the absolute world to me and is like a big chocolate bar to me!**

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><p>"Listen up!"<p>

Alice, Rose and I stopped talking, directing our attention to our commanding officer in Washington, Sergeant Black, straightening our backs and holding our heads high. He was a former front line soldier, having served in the Vietnam war, losing a leg in action and being subjected to teaching young recruits instead of being in the field like he longed to be. His son, Private Jacob Black was among our platoon and had the highest of respects due to his fathers rank. I met Jake during my first year of training and had developed a strong friendship with him despite the girls telling me he had feelings for me. Negative on those ideas; relationships with one another were forbidden above all else, and I would be damned if I would lose the respect and position I had earned for a romp in the barracks with a well muscled gorgeous man...

"I want platoons Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta to the left of the room, and platoons Echo, Foxtrot, Gecko and India to the right." We all grabbed our bags and ran to our designated sides which happened to be the left for us girls as we were in the Alpha platoon along with Jake. Standing in line with our backs pressed tightly to the wall awaiting our next command from Sergeant Black in front of us, I could feel the excitement buzzing off of every body in the room. Glancing around, I noticed all family members had vacated the premises and us recruits were the only persons left in the building.

"Your platoon does not determine your rank. Being in Alpha platoon does not make you the best, nor does platoon India make you the worst. All of you are exactly the same in my and your commanding officers eyes. The grades you received in training mean jackshit right now. What you do in the heat of the moment will determine your greatness and the rank you are. Stand up!" We all straightened up with our arms secured tightly against our sides, awaiting our next order.

"Grab your shit and get on that plane now; move move move!" There was an uproar of movement and we all hefted at least sixty kilograms of weight onto our backs and began jogging onto the tarmac only to be ushered into individual groups for each platoon.

A quick name call was heard before we entered the aircraft with the Bravo, Charlie and Delta platoon. Thankfully we were allowed to sit next to whomever we chose, so I sat beside Alice with Rosalie on her right against the aircraft wall. Jake sat on my left, smiling down at me with ease.

"Swan! How you doing girl?" He smiled wider as he spoke, making me grin right back at him.

"Black, don't go sweet-talking me now. We all know I'll have you polishing my shoes by the time we land if you keep that up." He let out a hearty laugh and we continued our banter, catching up on the month we had not seen each other.

By the fourth hour into the flight, I had learnt the name of every private on board. The two men sitting opposite us girls were Emmett and Jasper, whom Rose and Alice seemed to get along with very well. As they spoke to each other, I was beginning to feel the adrenaline of the day wear away, leaving tiredness in its wake. Leaning my head back against the wall, I closed my eyes for just a moment...

"Bella, wake up. We're here." I felt Alice shake my shoulder, her whisper awakening from my slumber.

"How long was I out?" I asked, stretching towards the roof of the plane and yawning simultaniously.

"A good nine hours I think. My watch stopped working and everyone dozed off around the same time as you." Alice looked over my shoulder at Jake then, smirking a little. I turned to see drool leaking from his mouth and decided to take the opportunity.

"Black!" I whispered into his ear, startling him. He reached up with his hand to remove the slobber from the corner of his mouth, moaned, and fell back asleep.

"He is so tired, poor guy." I couldn't help chuckling. I looked over at Alice, noticing her goofy expression. "Ali, are you ok?"

"Bella, I have never been better. I've met him - the one," she whispered. Instantly I knew what she meant. Alice had once explained to me the idea she had of her true love, the said butterflies and sudden feeling of knowing the person for your lifetime and not just an hour. "Jasper. He's the one."

"Alice, are you sure about this?" I sighed, shaking my hair loose of the ponytail barely clinging to my head with the turbulance. "You know the rules."

"Bella I have never been surer of anything," she suddenly grasped my hand between hers, squeezing tight and despite the worries I had regarding what trouble her feelings could land her into, I knew that she would find a way to make sure she got her soul mate.

An hour later, Rose woke up and we quietly filled her in on Alice's discovery. We were discussing what we would wear at the end of month new recruit dance when I felt the tires hit the tarmac, and the doors to the rear of the plane opened, showing a vast stretch of sand. When we finally made it out onto the tarmac the humidity swamped me, making me feel tired despite my long sleep.

We walked towards the trucks, where we were driven through the base camp to our barracks. Ten minutes later, the six girls in our group were dropped off at the tent we would be calling home for the next six months. Thank God there was air conditioning or else I would need a shower every hour with the heat and humidity.

"Shotgun!" Alice screamed, placing her bags on the floor next to a bed. Rose and I smirked at each other and placed our bags either side of her. Rose had the third bed and I the one nearest the tent flap which was ideal as I was known to be unable to sleep some nights, s exiting the tent to get fresh air would be easy.

Together with our new room mates Angela, Renesmee (who preferred Nessie) and Jessica, we began to unpack who we learnt were in Echo, Charlie and India platoon respectively.

"So, what platoon are you three in?" Angela asked Alice nervously. She was by far the sweetest girl I had met whilst in the army.

"We're in Alpha!" she replied, folding her uniform into a tidy stack.

"Oh my gosh. Your in the same platoon as Jacob Black?" Nessie suddenly went bright red, puffing out her cheeks then slowly releasing the air. "I mean, he's that Sergeants son, right?"

Us girls all looked at eachother and then turned to Nessie, smiling all too sweetly at her.

"Yep, that's the one," I replied, my smile turning in to a Cheshire cat grin.

"I think we can arrange for the two of you to...bond some time" Rose smirked, which made the rest of us break into laughter.

"Privates! Stand to." The voice was soft and sounded like velvet, and we all rushed to the end of our beds, standing to attention. A man entered our tent and made my eyes bug; his tall frame had to duck through the tent flap, knocking his perfectly just-been-fucked bronze hair and making it even more wild. I could tell even through his uniform adorned with badges that he was very well built, but not overly so. My eyes travelled to his face, noticing his high cheekbones and defined jaw, meeting his piercing emerald eyes which were looking straight into my chocolate pools. He was sex incarnate and he was very off-limits.

He smirked at me making me blush and wiping the starstruck look off my face, then he looked towards my group, sizing us up.

"Relax," he said and we clasped our hands together behind our backs. "Which three privates are in the Alpha platoon?"

"We are, sir." Sergeant Mason looked at us in turn, settling his gaze on me last.

"May I have your names, please."

Rose stepped forward first; "Private Rosalie Hale, sir."

"Private Alice Brandon, sir."

I stepped forward, glancing at Sergeant Cullen briefly before announcing "Private Isabella Swan, sir." I looked up to see Sergeant Cullen smiling before he cleared his throat and straightened his back.

"Well ladies, welcome to Alpha platoon. My name is Sergeant Edward Cullen and I will be your commanding officer. Let's go meet your fellow privates." He led the way out of the tent, holding the flap open as we followed after shooting farewell smiles to the others.

"Now ladies, you can call me Cullen and I shall call you Hale, Brandon and Swan if you so wish?" He glanced back to see our nodding faces; most Sergeants would be highly strung and command we call them by their title. The fact that Cullen was so easy going made me feel excited to be under his order and very eager to be under him... Mentally scolding myself I followed the girls and Cullen to a clearing where the rest of our platoon were.

"Guys, gather round" he gestured to five men that were in Alpha. The guys all stood to attention immediately, showing the respect they already had for Cullen. "These are privates Swan, Brandon and Hale. Privates, introduce yourselves."

"Private Emmett McCarthy" Emmett stepped forward and I saw Rosalie smirk from the corner of my eye. I recognized him from the plane, his bulging muscles no longer concealed under his camouflage jacket and now straining against his khaki t-shirt. He suddenly smiled, showing his dimples which along with his curly hair made him seem less scary than I originally thought.

Next a tall lean man with shaggy blonde hair spoke up. "I'm Private Jasper Whitlock" he drawled in a Texan accent. This was Alice's guy. I could tell straight away by the look he gave her that he felt it too.

"Private James Cole," came from a tall well-built guy with blonde hair. His icy blue eyes met mine, which immediately made me feel uneasy. I would watch out for him.

"Private Jacob Black, sir", Jacob said lastly, smiling at me and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Black!" Cullen suddenly barked. "I do not appreciate such fuckwidget behaviour in Alpha and if you ever act so crude again, you will be in Platoon India before your eyebrows return to their normal fucking place." He continued to stare at Jake, daring him to make a remark.

"Sorry sir, of course it will never happen again sir." Jake looked remorseful, clearly wanting to escape the respect that had been passed to him from his father and gain his own.

"Sir, I thought the platoons did not reflect on our skills and the level we were." My question was due to my curiosity and to get Jake out of the firing line so to say.

Turning to me, Cullen's eyes softened as he spoke. "The Sergeant back home unfortunately tried to keep your heads from getting too big, Swan. Sergeant Black refuses to let new recruits know that Alpha is the for the most skilled private as much as India is for the least. I do not want anyone else to know this information. So keep it to yourselves, please."

There was a chorus of "Yes sir," that sounded.

"As Alpha's, we also get the privilege of going on patrol before any of the other recruits; we head out tonight." His eyes met mine, and I tried to hide the fear that I knew marred them.

"All of you head toward the briefing tent to the right of the food stalls. Swan, stick around a moment, I'd like a quick word." Everyone shuffled towards the tent, shooting me confused looks as I shrugged my shoulders.

Cullen was looking at the walls surrounding our base as he began talking, "I know how hard it can be, Swan. Everyone feels scared their first patrol, but do not worry. I will be their to protect you - and your fellow recruits." He returned his gaze to me, and I could see the care just as much as he could see the anger in mine.

Raising my chin, I answered. "I appreciate the sentiment, sir, but I believe you are most wrong. I am not timmie and I would appreciate it if you would not let on to the others your thoughts." I turned on my heel, attempting to storm away in my anger.

But of course I am Bella Swan, who will always be a little too unstable on her feet. I stumbled over the uneven earth, hurtling towards the ground. I braced myself for the impact squeezing my eyes shut, but it never came.

I felt two strong hands grip my waist, twisting me round and pulling me up. I opened my eyes to find myself staring at the name badge of Cullen, travelling my gaze further to his emerald orbs. I inhaled sharply when I saw the fire in them, wrenching myself from his hold.

We both murmured apologies and thanks, walking towards the tent where everyone had already gathered.

Cullen held open the flap for me, and I looked up to see his eyes dark. I smirked my thanks, squeezing myself through the door and him, brushing my arm against his torso. I heard a deep exhale and giggled at his reaction, knowing that my tour had just become more interesting.

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><p><strong>Just a quickie:- <strong>

**Fuckwidget is a made up word. I do that sometimes...**

**Timmie means coward, which our Bella most certainly ain't! **

**Please review your ideas and comments my lovelies! **


	4. Night-Vision

**CHARACTERS AND TWILIGHT BELONG TO STEPHANIE MEYER. PLOT IS MINE. **

**AUTHORS MEMORANDUM**

**Thank you all once again for the response to the previous chapters. **

**I have to let you all in on a secret; this story is purely improvised. I spend my day thinking a loose story line for the upcoming chapter and just write. So if it's a the plot seems a little rushed, it's because I write this as a draft, read through it a tad correcting any mistakes and publish. **

**Also, some of you may be catching onto my obsession with looks. I feel your eyes show your feelings more than anything, so we will be hearing about the many looks Bella and Edward will be dishing out!**

**Also, the camp I've named is based loosely on Camp Bastion, but as it is now closed, I called it Camp Meyer - ;)**

**Once again please REVIEW even if it's just to tell me I suck as a wannabe-author. **

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><p>I took a seat between Alice and Rosalie trying to hide my smirk, but they noticed and shot me intrigued looks. Before they could question me, the Colonel stepped into the tent. All the privates shot to their feet standing to attention.<p>

"Stand easy, privates." He spoke in a firm yet soft voice, sounding familiar as we relaxed our shoulders and spread our feet. "My name is Colonel Cullen." I scrunched my eyebrows together, trying to decipher if he and my Cullen were related- wait. My Cullen? Where the fuck did that come from?!

"Yes, privates," Colonel Cullen continued, stopping my thoughts. "Sergeant Cullen is my son. So if you think his laid-back nature is a family trait, you are most certainly correct."

I glanced around to see a smile on each of my fellow recruits faces, and felt one grace my own. I chanced a look at Cullen to see his gaze focused on me. Deciding to be cheeky, I winked at him, seeing his ears grow red and his mouth twitch.

I looked back to Colonel Cullen to see him looking at me with a glint in his eyes. I couldn't tell what it was, but I received no negative vibes. He returned his attention to the group, the expression in his eyes still present.

"Please sit down." Their was a murmur of shuffling feet as we all found our seats. "The reason you are all in the operations tent this afternoon after just stepping off the bird is because you are the best of our recruits. Every single one of you have shown a great deal of knowledge in your training and have been deemed worthy of Alpha. That is why you are here, and don't forget it." He looked to each of our faces, a look of pride on each one.

"The mission tonight is to utilize and reorganize the military prison 10 miles east of our camp. The prison is isolated and very well guarded, however we have received intel that one of our men have gone rogue. They may have been a sleeper all along, but we will not know until you defuse the situation and return him here to Camp Meyer where we can assess the situation and resolve it. Be ready to dispatch by twenty hundred hours where you met with Cullen earlier."

An excited "Yes Colonel" resounded, after which Colonel Cullen started to exit the tent. We all stood up, saluting at our superior with the highest respect. He smiled back and shrugged his way out.

Cullen moved to stand in front of our seats, clapping his hands together. "Alright, troops! You can relax now, the boss man has left the room." A light chuckle was heard before we sat down again. "We have roughly 4 hours until we execute our mission. Make sure you all get a meal ASAP. The worst thing to do before a mission is to eat an hour before you set off. I shall see all then." As he turned to exit, we all stood up for him. "You do not need to do that for me. We are all equal here." He glanced at me as he spoke, portraying a sadness I had never seen before.

As soon as he had walked out of the door, everyone began to speak at once, discussing the knowledge we had been given.

"Oh my God. I did not expect that, girls." Alice shook her head, leading the way out of the tent.

"Wait! Where are you three heading off to?" Emmett shouted, he and Jasper bursting out of the tent, followed by the rest of the boys. "We have to have dinner together; first night and all."

"Of course! Where do you boys want to take us?" Rose asked, a smile gracing her face. She had turned on what I called the "Rosalie charm", and I knew Emmett was a goner.

"Um... I-" He stammered, until Jasper came to his rescue.

"They have pizza up near the canteen, I hear. We are celebrating our first night so we may as well have the fatty foods now." He looked down at little Alice, and she nodded her head enthusiastically. "Sorted. Let's go troops!"

He and Alice led the way, talking animatedly about the tents we were staying in. Next was Rose and Emmett, talking about the cars they had remodelled in the past, followed by James.

"Swan, is it?" Said a young looking boy to my right. I turned to see the fifth member of our platoon who never got the chance to introduce himself earlier. "I'm Seth Clearwater. I wasn't able to say hi earlier." He had tanned skin and the whitest teeth I had ever seen set in a baby-face. But his height made him seem older, standing at possibly six feet two inches tall, the same as Cullen.

"Hi Seth!" I grinned. He seemed like someone I would get along well with. "Call me Bella, Swan makes me sound like too much of a girl."

He laughed and was about to ask something when Jake jumped on his back.

"What the hell man!" Seth roared with laughter. "Get off me before I fling you down!" He started to buck Jake off, but he wouldn't budge.

"Ah you're no fun," Jake laughed jumping to the floor. I suddenly saw that they were old friends and laughed at their previous predicament.

"Watch it you two, more of that chummy behavior and you'll get a name." They both stopped laughing and questioned me with their eyes, tilting their heads like dogs. "You know!" I said laughing. "Bum-boys." They suddenly blanched and looked at each other.

"URGH!" They screamed in unison, jumping away and shivering.

"Bells, I am only interested in women; trust me." Jake said, pulling me into his side.

"Whatever, Black. Just letting you know what the rest of the boys will be thinking." I pulled away from Jake and began walking towards the canteens. "What do you think they have to offer food-wise?" I had heard stories back in training of the powder food some soldiers had to live off of while on tour. I barely weighed fifty-five kilograms currently, most of which was muscle but I wanted to maintain that weight, especially in this hot country where I would be burning more calories than I would be taking in.

"I heard they have Pizza Hut and Burger King down here!" Seth said excitedly, he and Jake falling into step with me.

"Really?" I asked, matching his tone. The reminder of home no matter how small would be welcome in this new place.

"Oh yeah, Bells. See over there?" Jake pointed to a blue hole in the wall metal carrier you would find on cargo ships. "That's Burger King! And next to it, the red one? Pizza Hut." I whistled low, my tongue absent-mindedly licking my lips. Looking up I saw Jake and Seth staring at my mouth. "Um..." Jake began, clearing his throat and looking back to the food huts. "So pizza or burgers?"

"Burgers. Definitely." I replied, quickening my walk to the food and feeling embarrassed.

Thank God the queue consisted of three people, so by the time we walked up, we were next to be served.

"Afternoon, private," a young male soldier greeted me. "What would you like?"

Knowing the menu off by heart, I ordered a double whopper with fries and a bottle of water. When I had my goodies in hand, I waited for the boys to order and we made our way to the benches and tables, where we saw our gang with the Renesmee and Angela.

"Woah," Jake whispered. "Bella who is that girl?" He was looking straight at our table right at Nessie.

"That's Nessie! She shares my tent with Rose, Alice, that girl Angela sitting next to Nessie and another private Jessica. "She's pretty isn't she?" I asked, almost five feet away from the table now.

"Pretty is such an understatement Bells. She's perfection." He walked up to Nessie, and took the empty seat beside her. I just saw them engage in conversation both looking like they won the lottery when Alice grabbed my and pulled me down to sit between her and Rose.

"Bella, spill. Why did Cullen want you to stay behind?" She whispered, grabbing a slice of pizza from the 10-piece pepperoni she was sharing with Jasper. She needed the carbs; Alice was the smallest of our group of three, weighing barely forty-five kilograms. Rose had the most weight at sixty, but her height and toned body made her look the thinnest.

"Yeah Bell!" Rose said, spinning round to help Alice on my interrogation. "When you both walked in, it was like you'd done the nasty round back with your smirk and his flushed face. If I didn't know you any better I'd say you had." Unfortunately I had chosen that moment to take a bite out of my burger, and choked a little.

"Rose!" I gasped, slapping her arm as they both laughed at me. With tears rolling down my face and trying to keep our conversation private, I continued. "Fucking hell guys. He's our captain. Sure he's hot as fuck, but I am not that stupid. If anything, he fucking annoyed the shit outta me, by calling me out on being scared. So I told him where to fuck off on his high horse, and when I tried to storm away, I fell. He caught me, and when we entered the tent, I sorta tried to um, flirt with him?" I looked down at my suddenly very interesting food, shoving three fries into my mouth.

"Oh my God." Rose and Alice said together. "You're in deep girl." Alice said, shaking her head.

"What the hell? How am I in too deep Ali? He's an annoying fucktard!"

"That's how we know you're in deep Bells." Rose said, eating her burger. "He's broken the swearing boundary already. Usually that doesn't happen until after lunch." She smiled down at me, to which I couldn't help but agree with.

"Whatever, girls. And besides; kettle, pot?" I asked, looking pointedly at Emmett and Jasper who were engaged in conversation with the others. They both looked sheepish, so I got my answer, and began talking of other things. "So, I reckon I'm going to be the color of the sand by the time we leave."

Smiling her gratitude, Rose said "Me too! I want to get really brown, but I doubt it will happen with my pale as snow skin." This led to a discussion of what sunscreen we had, and what color makeup the girls would have to get upon R&R.

After we all finished lunch, we decided to head back to our tents for a little rest up before we would have to regroup for our patrol.

"Which one's your tent then girls?" Jake asked Nessie and I. "I'm just here to the right with bossman and the rest of the boys."

"Who, Cullen?" I asked, looking to his tent. Just then, Cullen himself emerged from the tent with a nurse following him out.

"Listen, private Denali. I've told you for the past week, I'm not interested in what you're selling. I'm not interested." He punctuated each word with a slap to the side of the tent. By this time, our platoon and the girls had stopped to hear the conversation and to farewell the boys. Cullen sensed our presence and looked at our group, his eyes squaring on me. He must have seen the confusion, as his eyes softened and he walked away from private Denali towards me. He stopped in front of us and turned around to her. "Now I have to explain your actions to my platoon to let them know the repercussions of fraternization. Please, never approach me in that way again."

The girl looked mortified and began to back away from the tent, uttering an apology. "I'm sorry, sir. Never again will I advance you in that way again, sir," she said, turning and scurrying off, her blonde hair waving in the wind and her blue eyes glistening with tears. I almost felt sorry for her.

"Platoon." Cullen wanted our attention. "That was private Tanya Denali. She was coming into my tent more often than I care to admit, basically asking me to fuck her. Sorry, ladies." He apologized, to which we shrugged - we weren't immune to bad language, especially with our mouths. "Anyway, as you are all aware, we are not allowed to engage in relationships within the army, but if you are going to" he looked at Jake, Emmett and Jasper, and lastly at me, keeping his gaze steadied, "just be stealthy about it."

Everyone started laughing and teasing the girls, apart from me. I kept eye-contact with Cullen, almost in an erotic stare off until he looked away. As he did, I felt myself let out a breathe I wasn't aware I was holding. What was it about this man that made my thoughts go hazy and my actions delayed?

"Two hours remaining, troops. Best get a little nap now to be rested and ready for tonight. I'll see you all later." He walked away from our group, giving me one last look over his shoulder.

The boys all entered their tents, and us girls bid them farewell. We walked towards our barracks, just ten tents down.

As we entered, I began to put my possessions away again.

"Oh yeah," Alice said, looking at me along with Nessie and Rose. "We got it bad, but you Bella? You have it so bad it pains to watch."

After we all set away our clothes and possessions, we lay on our bunks for a while to rest and let our food settle. I was beginning to doze off when I heard the tent flap open.

"Swan, you're not too tired for tonight, are you?" Cullen asked. He surprised me so much that as I turned to get up, I fell to the floor, knocking the wind out of me. "Shit! Swan are you ok?" He bent down to help me up, and I took his hand reluctantly. He pulled me close to his body to steady me, and I felt my heart rate increase incredibly.

"Thank you," I said, trying to not to meet his eyes. I pulled away despite not wanting to, and he let me go. I stood at the end of my bed, also not meeting the girls' humored looks.

"I didn't get your names earlier, privates" he addressed Nessie and Angela; Jessica was still out with her platoon.

Nessie stepped forth, "Private Renesmee 'Nessie' Andrews, sir".

"Private Angela Weber, sir".

"Lovely to meet you, ladies. I hope you both have a great first night, and shall see you around soon, I presume." He gave Nessie a knowing look, making her blush scarlet. "We meet in fifteen, troops. Get your full kit on including rifles." He smiled and left the tent with a goofy half salute.

"Awr, look at him acting all Captain-y for you, Bella," Alice said, blinking her eyes rapidly and clasping her hands together. She looked like Bambi.

"Haha, whatever you loser." I said, throwing my pillow at her.

We got ready for our mission, and exited the tent with good luck's from the girls. As soon as we made it to the meeting spot, the sun had already set, leaving us bathed in the moons light.

"Hiya, girls," Jasper greeted us, smiling at Alice. "How you feeling?"

We all shrugged as Alice admitted "A little nervous I guess...But who wouldn't be?"

"I'll look after you, little one. Don't worry." His eyes portrayed the truth in his words, and Rose and I left them to their moment.

"Bella-bear!" Emmett shouted, running over and picking me up. "How you doing squirt?" He asked, settling me down again.

"Not bad, Em, not bad. You scared yet?" I teased him, knocking his elbow with mine.

"Nah, I've been preparing for this my entire life. Hi Rose," he said sheepishly to Rose. "How you feeling?"

"Meh, I've been better I guess, ya big oaf." She smiled at him though, showing she was joking.

I decided to give them a moment and stand off to the side.

"Hello, Swan," Cullen said, having materialized behind me. I spun around and was met with his smoldering emerald stare, still pronounced even in darkness.

"Cullen, you scared me a little there!" I laughed, holding my hand to my chest.

"Sorry, Swan. I didn't realize you would be one to scare so easily. You ready for tonight?" I nodded my head, remembering our earlier conversation. As if reading my mind, he said, "I'm so sorry about earlier, Swan. I just-" he sighed, dipping his head. "I feel protective of you. I wouldn't want you to feel scared if I can help it." His eyes portrayed his sincerity. I couldn't help staring into them in shock, feeling something rise in my chest. I had never felt it before, but it felt like very strong butterflies swarming through my stomach into my throat.

"Right!" He shouted, and the spell was broken. "Gather round everyone for final checks." He checked our uniforms and once we were deemed perfect, he handed out headpieces and night-vision goggles. "As it's getting darker, we will need these to ensure no friendly fire occurs. These headpieces are to communicate with eachother; this button here" he showed us a console by the earpiece that held two buttons,the top one he was referring to, "is to talk to everyone. But the button below is to talk to me alone. Please do not hesitate to use it if need be."

We all kitted up and got ready to board the truck that would take us the distance to the prison.

Half an hour later, we arrived at a barren area of the desert, where a fence separated us from the approaching prison building.

"This is it, guys," Cullen opened the back door, and we all exited. "Stay close and stay quiet. We have to make sure the building remains secure while we extract the soldier Private Eddings. We will enter through the main entrance and make our way from there. Night-vision on and move out."

We all snapped our goggles on and jogged to the entrance of the prison. Entering, we saw all the lights had been shut off, and a door was hanging off the hinges to our left.

"Stay close, and stay low everyone," Cullen came through on the headpiece. We continued through the hall, until the hall split into two. "Right, Swan, Clearwater, Black and Cole, follow me to the left. The rest of you go right. Stay talking to me McCarthy. Keep me updated on everything."

I saw Emmet nod through my green-colored vision and gave my girls smiles as we parted. I couldn't help feel scared for them, but I knew they would be fine.

"They'll be fine Swan. The boys will make sure of it." Cullen came through to me, and I instantly relaxed.

We head down the corridor, me bringing up the rear, when I felt a hand clasp my mouth, and drag me back.


	5. Winning a Losers Game

**Hiya guys! **

**I'm so sorry for the late update, I've been thinking of this chapter for ages and putting my thoughts down was much harder than I thought. **

**I'm not one hundred per cent sure of it, but any feedback is appreciated!**

**Stay classy, fanfiction!**

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><p>I felt a gloved hand clasp around my mouth, and an arm grab me back and close to my assailants body.<p>

I stood firmly, bracing my body against his to keep myself from falling over. I reached to his hand covering my mouth, grabbing his thumb and pulling it backwards. The assailant screamed, calling the attention of the others who were thirty feet down the hall. I saw them turn around and the horror on Cullen's face as I used my strength to flip him onto his back onto the floor. I put my foot onto his chest, keeping him from getting up and pointing my rifle at his chest.

"Stay down! I swear to fuck stay down or I will shoot!" I screamed, as I saw Cullen push past Seth, Jake and James and approach me.

"Swan! Are you ok?" he asked, clearly distressed.

"Absolutely fine, sir. What are we going to do with him?" I asked, nodding towards the floor. Cullen looked down too, smirking at me.

"That was amazing. We will have him handed over to the general's and they will reprimand him." He made a radio call to the generals, and they had an EAT of ten minutes.

I suddenly heard banging behind me and swiveled, raising my gun.

"Bella! Oh my God Bella! Are you ok?" Alice and Rose came barreling down the hallway, followed closely by Emmett and Jasper. Alice had tear marks down her face and hugged me fiercely along with Rose.

"I thought that something had happened Bells!" Rose cried, her face also wet with tears. "Never ever do that to me again, bitch." She laughed.

"What happened?" Ali asked, by my shoulder. Jake moved me aside then as he and Seth grabbed the private up and held him arms behind his back.

"Well, he grabbed me from behind and held his hand over my mouth, but I managed to flip him over before the boys could help," I explained, looking at Cullen and smiling. "Unfortunately, the burgers we ate today must have gotton to these lot, because they took almost forever to reach me."

Cullen feigned hurt, and held his hand on his chest. "I never, Swan. I was just allowing you your five minutes of fame, trouble." His eyes widened at the pet-name but thank God no one else noticed.

Just then, we heard the helicopter outside and we all exited the prison with the private.

"General, sir," Cullen saluted a man in a pristine standard-marine suit, with medals sewn to the jacket and sleeves. We all saluted the general as well, handing over the private to the three marines who had approached us.

"As you were, Sergeant. Thank you for executing the mission as instructed. Private Eddings will now be taken into custody were we will determine what course of action shall be taken."

"Thank you sir, we will be ready to help whenever you need assistance again."

"Much appreciated. May I ask which of you captured the private?" The general asked, giving Cullen a questioning gaze.

"That will be private Swan, sir," Cullen grinned looking at me.

"Private Swan?" The general asked, looking at me.

"Sir, yes sir." I saluted him.

"Stand easy, private. Thank you for capturing the private. He shall never be a worry to the American Forces again." He saluted me, which took me off guard, nodded, and walked back to the helicopter where his men were and took off.

"Wow." I shook my head. That was unexpected for a general to salute me.

"You did well tonight, Swan. If I had to pick anyone to fight in my corner ever again, I'd pick you everyday." Cullen looked down at me and I grinned.

"Me too Bells!" Jake shouted, making me laugh.

"Us too!" Rose and Alice said, winking. Everyone said the same, even James.

"Thanks, guys. Now let's head back to camp. I'm starving after that exertion!" I joked, looking to Cullen.

"Swan's right, troops. The truck is waiting for us, let's head back."

We made it back to the truck and back on camp thirty minutes later, and by that time it was twenty-two hundred hours. We were first taken back to the operations tent for debriefing, in which we had to talk about what went well and not so well the past two hours since beginning our operation. Conolel Cullen was present, and personally thanked me for the work I carried out.

Twenty minutes later, we were free to do as we wished, and to meet at zero-seven hundred hours the next morning.

We got some food in the canteen, which consisted of sandwiches and salad, then headed to our barracks to get the stuff needed for a shower.

When we arrived at the shower stalls, we found it empty. We quickly got into our stalls to as we had arranged to meet Emmett, Jasper, Jake and Nessie at the muck room.

I had just began to wash my hair when I heard the girls get out of the shower and begin to dress.

"Bells?" Rose called to which I grunted in reply. "Do you mind if we head back to the barracks? We can wait if you won't be long?"

"No, no! Don't worry, I won't be long at all! I'll see you soon at the mucker." I called between the door to them.

"Alright, see you soon!" Alice called, clearly eager to see Jasper again. Chuckling to myself, I stood under the hot water allowing myself to think of the day's events. I had shown myself to be a strong asset to the team by completing our mission, had seen my two best friends and new friend show great interest in men who seemed perfect for them and had met Cullen. Cullen was what had my thoughts in a twirl and I couldn't understand why. I had known him less than twenty four hours, yet I felt a cosmic pull to him that I wanted to discover more about.

The water started turning cold then, so I stepped out and got into my shorts and a t-shirt to lounge in and wear to bed. I combed my hair and left it down, so it would dry properly and headed back to my barracks to put back my things.

As I exited the bathroom, I felt a presence behind me. I spun around, expecting to catch the Alpha's playing a trick on me but was met with the darkness of the desert. Feeling slightly afraid, I returned my attention forward and rounded the corner to find myself face to chest with someone.

"Swan?" I heard Cullen question, and I looked up at his face. It was pure beauty.

"I-Sorry, sir..Cullen. Sorry." I stammered, trying to take a step backwards.

"That's okay, Swan," he chuckled, his eyes dancing in the moonlight. "Are you off to relax with the others?" He looked me over then, and I should have felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but I felt confident and empowered.

"I am, Cullen. Are you coming too?"

"Y-Yeah, I was just on my way there now actually." His gaze darkened then, his orbs glowing.

"Would you walk me to my tent first, Cullen? I..could use the company." I looked down at the dirt as I talked, trying not to show I was scared. I felt his finger under my chin as he raised my head up.

"I would love too, Swan." He said with such sincerity. I smiled at him and began walking to the tent with him by my side.

"It's Bella." I said, glancing at him.

"Pardon?" Cullen looked confused as he took in what I said.

"My name. It's Bella. What's your name, Cullen?" I tucked my hair behind my ear as I talked; it was almost dry.

He smiled down at me as we arrived at my tent, and he stopped outside. "It's Edward. Lovely to meet you, Bella." He held open the tent door for me.

"Thank you, kind sir." I curtseyed as I stepped through, making him laugh. I quickly put back my toiletries. No one was in the tent at that moment, so I ran back out to go to the relax tent, as it was named. In reality, it was just a big tent with aircon and a pool table, but it was where everyone chilled out after a hard day.

"That was quick, Bella," Edward smiled as I ducked out of the tent.

"Just in a hurry to beat you at pool, Edward." Saying his name was amazing. It was such am old fashioned name I had only heard while reading my old Jane Austin books.

His walkie-talkie beeped suddenly, and I heard Conolel Cullen ask him to attend a debriefing at the operations tent. We had had our debriefing earlier, but this seemed more technical meeting.

"Bella, I'm sorry I have to go and talk to the boss. Will you be okay walking to the tent alone?" He looked out at the base then, looking for activity occurring.

"No, of course I'll be fine. You just didn't want to lose to a girl. I get it." I joked, trying to hide the sadness of not spending more time with Edward. He was becoming an addiction now that was very dangerous.

"I'm sorry. I would have loved to see you all in your comfort zone in the midst of this craziness. I have to go though. Have a great night, Bella." He looked torn and upset over leaving, but I knew he had to.

"Bye Edward." We both separated, Edward going left and I right. I gave him a glance over my shoulder as we parted, and saw him looking as well. Winking, I turned back to the front and walked to the tent.

The walk was only five minutes, but I had been shown a short cut earlier that day on the map of the base, and decided to take it, cutting the journey by three minutes.

As I walked down the ominous route, I came across a group of men talking to Tanya, whom we had seen earlier with Edward. She seemed to be flirting with the men, but then I saw her get dragged by the hair into tent used for storage. Instantly, my instinct s kicked in and I ran towards the tent to help her.

"Hey! Let go of her right now!" I shouted as I burst through the door. I saw Tanya on the floor with her uniform torn and a man standing over her.

"Swan." The man turned around and I realised it was James. The door behind me slammed shut and I saw the other two men from the group who were recruits from Delta.

"What the fuck is happening, James?" I questioned, taking in my surroundings and trying to keep calm.

"We all know she wanted it Swan. Hell, I know you do too. I saw you earlier coming out of the showers. If Cullen hadn't of ran into you, I would have you at my feet right now, not this whore." He kicked Tanya in the gut, and she screamed in pain.

"No! James let her go, right now!" I screamed, lunging for him. Before I could reach him, I was yanked back by the other recruit who I recognized as Laurant.

"Uh uh uh. You're our new play thing, Swan." James laughed. Struggling against Laurant, I realised I was in trouble now.

"I'll have you first, Swan," Laurant breathed into my ear. He had me in a strong grip, and between the height and weight difference, I knew I would have trouble trying to get out of his grip. "I'll make it nice and easy. So nice, you'll be begging for more." I felt his hand wander down to my breast, and it was the leverage I needed.

I raised my head to sink my teeth into his forearm, and heard his cry of pain. Before the other asshole could help him contain me, I twirled around and kneed him in the balls, bringing him to his knees and releasing me, where I kicked his face and saw him fall. I heard shouting and screaming, but over that I heard feet advancing from behind me as the fucker in the corner grabbed my hair. I poked him in the eye, until he let go of me with a girlish scream, then held him in a stronghold until I felt his breath even out and he fell unconscious.

Turning towards Tanya and James, I was met with a punch to the face, and fell to the floor, dizzy and uncoordinated.

"I won't knock you out, Swan. Don't worry you will feel this pleasure." I felt his hands on his t-shirt then, and felt his blade tear it open.

"James. Stop, please. Don't do this!" I cried, trying to stay strong but failing.

He restrained my hands over my head in his and pulled down my shorts, which left me bare on top with just my underwear on.

"It's already done." He smirked and pulled down his uniform, when I heard the door crash open. James was hoisted into the air and I curled into myself, hiding my body and my tears from my saviours.

"Bella? Bella! Oh my God! We thought you were lost, we didn't start looking until it was too late!" I heard Alice cry, then felt her sink to the ground and hug me.

"Bella, I'm so sorry sweetie. I thought.. I thought-" Rosalie broke into tears and I felt her gather my half naked body into her arms as I cried.

I could hear Emmett and Jasper shouting outside and tried to block out all sound. I felt myself falling into subconsciousness, welcoming the dark. Before I was out, I heard beautiful sound.

"Bella?" Edward fell to his knees beside me, gathering me into his arms. I tried to hide my body when I noticed someone had put a jacket around me, and noticed Tanya had gone. "Bella, I will never let anyone harm you ever again. You hear me Bella? Never again." Edward whispered over and over to me, until I was placed into my bed in the barracks.

"Edward?" I called, as I saw him turn to the door. He spun around instantly, back at my side in a flash. "Don't leave me. Please, just until I fall asleep." I felt desperate begging, and was about to brace myself for rejection when he fell to the floor beside my head.

"Never Bella. I will be here as long as you want me." He started humming a tune to me, and I saw his expression filled eyes before I le the darkness overtake me.

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><p><strong>Wow. That was hard to write. <strong>

**Poor Bella, she can't seem to catch a break right now! **

**Just a FYI, this won't be the last we see of that asshat, James. **

**REVIEW PLEASE, THANKS.**


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